Until Next Time
by The Killer Bunny
Summary: Yukio and Renzou make an unexpected connection with each other after becoming pen pals in elementary school. Part 2 of Lettersverse.
1. April 6, 2000

_**Sincerely** and **Until Next Time** take place in the same universe, so __we hope that you guys read both of these fics together, as that is how we intended it_. Hope you enjoy! Leave us a review and tell us what you think. _As a side note, the Okumura twins were born in 1993, making them 6 at the moment since their birthday is in December. They are all in their first year of elementary school. Also, this story will be very different from **Sincerely** and it will get progressively longer , so don't be drawn away by the initial short chapters_.

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It was the school's tradition that every student in the first grade had a pen pal with a student from another city. It was a project that was only required to last for the entire year, but it was encouraged that they keep in contact with their pen pals afterwards.

If it wasn't for his brother's messy handwriting, Yukio probably wouldn't have found it so easy to read the name in the card in front of him. Shima Renzou. It was an interesting name. He'd never heard of a name like it before. He wondered if it was more common in Kyoto.

Looking over at his brother's card, he found the neat penmanship of someone who looked like they could be writing in a textbook. Suguro Ryuuji. Well, Ryuuji was more familiar but Suguro again was another weird name.

Yukio sighed with soft worry. He wondered if they would be able to get along, if maybe they were too different for friendship.

But Rin was already chatting about what kind of a person Suguro could be and Yukio was once again swept away by his big brother's bravery. _What kind of person is Shima Renzou,_ he thought to himself.

_I hope he'll like me._


	2. April 10, 2000

Renzou bit the fleshy part of his thumb as he stared down at the card that had the name of his assigned partner. He still couldn't believe his luck. He'd thought for sure that he was going to get partnered up with a guy, but out of the three of them, only Konekomaru ended up with a male partner. Renzou and Bon had gotten lucky and landed a pair of twin sisters.

_Rin-chan and Yuki…ko? _

Renzou frowned as he tried to figure out what the last character in the name card was. He hadn't cared as much before about the slight blotch he had made with his food-stained fingers, but now that he had to write his letter, he felt a little more curious.

_It's probably Yukiko, _he thought after a few more seconds. Still, he didn't want to accidentally call her the wrong name, so he decided to stay safe and just call her Yuki for now.

He glanced at the blank sheet of paper in front of him with a determined, contemplative gaze. He wasn't sure what to write. He wanted to make a good impression and seem nice. He wanted Yuki to like him. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

_Dear Yuki-chan, _

_Is it okay if I call you Yuki-chan? I hope you won't mind. You have a beautiful name. Is it because you born in the winter? Or is it 'cause your skin is as delicate and pale as snow? Either way, it'd be a cool comparison with me. I was born in the middle of summer after all. _

_Though we're supposed to write a short introduction letter, I gotta say I'm more interested in getting to know ya. What kinda things do ya like? What's your favorite type of food? What makes ya smile?_

_Can't wait to hear from you. _

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_

Was it a little bit too much?

…nah. Girls liked flowery talk and questions. And pink.

When their teacher called for their attention, Shima ignored him, picked up a pink color pencil, and began to draw little hearts around his letter.


	3. April 13, 2000

_We're excited to announce that both **Sincerely** and **Until Next Time** are being translated into French! Check out my profile for more information about this. Thank you!_

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_Dear Ren-kun, _

_You can call me Yuki-chan if you like. Can I call you Ren-kun? Thank you! I like your name too. It's different but kind of cool. And yes, me and my brother were both born in December! You guessed because of my name, right? I really like the snow so I like my name too._

_I like singing in the choir at the monastery Rin and I live in. Rin is my brother, by the way. And I really like Rin too. I like Rin a lot. He protects me and does things I can't do so we're always going to be together. My favorite food is seafood! I really like all kinds of fish and sushi and stuff. Rin doesn't really like raw fish like I do and he says it tastes weird but I told him I'll eat his fish since he can't. What makes me smile is my brother, Rin, and my Papa! I really love playing with them a lot!_

"Why's yours got hearts all over it?"

Yukio looked up from writing his response and turned to look at Renzou's previous letter. "I dunno." He shrugged. "Maybe Ren-kun really likes pink."

"Oh I guess so." Rin placed his own letter down.

"Do you like your letter, Nii-san?" Yukio asked with a bright smile.

Rin smiled in return. "Yeah! Ryuuji sounds pretty cool so far. I hope we can be friends."

Yukio's smile widened just a bit further. "Yeah, me too!"

_What kind of stuff makes you smile, Ren-kun? I want to know more about you too!_

_I can't wait to hear from you._

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	4. April 17, 2000

"I've been tricked!" Renzou cried out. He stared at the letter in his hands wide-eyed, with an almost absurdly disheartened expression. His voice caught the attention of most of his class, but only Konekomaru bothered to lean over to see what he was protesting about.

"What's wrong?" the shorter boy asked.

Renzou thrust his letter at his childhood friend and huffed as Konekomaru read over it.

"It's not fair! Bon, trade with me!"

"No way," Suguro replied without even looking back at him.

Renzou narrowed his eyes and glared at the back of the other's head, but then he remembered Rin wasn't a girl anyway. They were both brothers. What were the odds of that?

"Not fair…" he muttered. With all the reluctance he could muster, Renzou got out a piece of paper and began to pen his reply. Just after writing the first word, he was already starting to waver, unsure of what he wanted to say.

_Dear…_

_Dear what? _he thought grumpily. It would be rude of him to change his mind now especially since this was his own fault. Renzou grimaced as he forced himself to continue to write.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_I don't mind being called Ren-kun. You can call me anythin' you'd like, really. Anyway, you sound like a cool guy. I like seafood too, especially shrimp. Sushi's okay. Haven't eaten anything fancy though since I live at a Buddhist temple. We're not supposed to be too picky about food. Or about anything really._

_It's not bad living here though. I get to live with two of my best friends. It's fun being with them, most of the time anyway. They're better than my actual brothers, who're always makin' fun of me and pickin' on me. Being with my friends is what makes me smile._

_Dunno what else to tell ya. Hope I can come up with something by the time I get your next letter. _

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_

By the time Renzou had finished writing his letter, his annoyance had faded away. He wasn't sure why. There was something about the activity that put him at ease.

He was still kind of disappointed Yukio wasn't a girl though. What type of person gave their kids such girly names anyway?

_I wonder if Bon already found out about that… _Renzou got up from his seat and glanced over at the reply the other was writing. His mouth dropped open a bit and just as Suguro was signing his name, he snatched the letter away to double-check what he had seen.

"Sheesh! What's with this boring reply?"

"Shima…! Give it back!" Suguro growled, immediately protesting.

Renzou snickered and kept the letter away from the other a while longer, teasing him about his stiff response. "You sound like an old man! And where're the compliments?" Then, as he realized the other surely didn't know about Yukio's brother yet, he added, "Ask a little bit more about her! You're wastin' a golden opportunity here, Bon!"

Suguro snatched back his letter. "What did I tell ya about callin' me that?" he muttered.

Renzou grinned behind the other's back and wondered how long it would take Suguro to uncover the whole misunderstanding.


	5. April 20, 2000

Yukio bounced on his toes as his father gave him Renzou's letter after Rin had rushed in with them both. He raced with Rin to their room and giggled as he hurried to his desk. He quickly ripped open the envelope, his heart thrumming with excitement as he unfolded the paper and read the letter.

It wasn't long until he'd finished the letter that Rin ran out, calling for Papa about a picture of a temple and he was shocked as the same word had been in his own letter. So he chased after Rin, bringing his letter along.

"A temple, huh?" Shiro scratched his head. "Is that in your letters?"

"Yeah!" Rin chirped happily as Yukio nodded at his side.

"Renzou said he lives in a Bu…" Yukio looked back down at the letter. "A Buddhist temple!" He read out the word and was happy to see a spark of familiarity in his father's eyes.

"Ah, I'm familiar with those." Shiro stood up and walked to a small room with many old books behind the chapel. The two boys followed him in and Yukio sneezed from the dust. Rin immediately wiped his little brother's face with his sleeve. Shiro looked down at them and chuckled a bit. "Wait outside the door, you two, or you'll both get covered with little dust bunnies."

Rin's eyes immediately widened with wonder. "Are there actual bunnies made of dust fuzzies?!"

"No, Nii-san! Papa is just kidding!" Yukio said quickly and Rin looked disappointed as they walked out of the room to wait.

It wasn't much longer until Shiro walked out with a thick dusty book. Opening it up caused a small cloud of dust to appear and the two boys waved their hands in front of their faces to block it from going up their noses. A few pages were turned with their own smaller clouds of dust and soon, Shiro stopped.

"There ya are, you two." He gestured to a page. In the picture was a large wooden structure, old and surrounded by trees and nature of all kind. A simple stone path lead up to the entrance. The boys' eyes widened in wonder as he stared at the picture of the temple. Yukio wondered if Ren-kun's temple also looked like that. By the time he'd looked up from the page, Rin was already running back to their room.

"Looks cool, huh?" Shiro was smiling at him and Yukio smiled back.

"Yeah! It sorta looks like our monastery just a little." Yukio said as he looked again at the picture. "But this one looks like it's in a forest."

"It does, huh? Well, we have our own sort of forest in the city. The huge buildings can imagine they're tall, tall trees!" Shiro grinned excitedly and Yukio's mind buzzed with wonder that filled his eyes.

"Yeah!" Yukio smiled brightly.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_Our Papa showed us a picture of a temple today. It looked really cool and it was in the middle of a forest! Is your temple in the middle of a forest? Our monastery is in the city but we have a little bit of trees around. Papa also said that the city is sort of like a different kind of forest! I like thinking about it like that. It makes it like I'm just a bit closer to you._

_I get picked on a lot at school because I'm not very tough but my brother always protects me. I'm sorry your brothers pick on you and I know telling them to stop never really works but you should try it anyway. I would help you if I could but I'm little and I'm not very strong so I don't think I would be able to do much. _

_Keep trying and keep smiling because things will always get better!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	6. April 24, 2000

Renzou was in the middle of reading his letter when he heard Konekomaru let out a small noise of exasperation.

He looked up and was surprised to see his friend scowling at his letter.

"Somethin' wrong?"

Konekomaru shook his head. "It's nothing," he muttered, sounding a little grumpy.

Renzou gave him a dubious glance but got back to his letter. A small smile spread across his face. Yukio was pretty enthusiastic. Nice too, like Konekomaru, but maybe not as serious. He wasn't really sure what to make of him. He found it easy to talk to him somehow. His lack of confidence was a little annoying though.

_So you get picked on too, huh?_

Renzou was used to the slight sneer at school due to the reputation their temple had, but he wouldn't call himself bullied. Whenever people made those types of comments, he tended to ignore them. Ryuuji was the one who got more easily riled up.

He wrote his next reply with more purpose than he had before.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind. Don't worry about me too much though. My brothers might be a pain, but my mom's having a baby soon, so they're probably gonna be too busy or distracted to deal with me. Anyway, why're ya gettin' picked on at school for? It's lucky you've got a good brother, but ya can't let him protect ya all the time. Ya gotta stand up for yourself. It's not as hard as it sounds really. You don't gotta be strong or anythin', you just have to not let it get to ya._

_Anyway, about our temple, yeah it's pretty out of the way. We gotta bike to school every morning, and it's a pain 'cause it's pretty far. The view's nice. The bugs are not. Since we're surrounded by a lotta trees, there's too many bugs around here, which sucks. The other day I woke up, and a moth had gotten into my room because I forgot to close my window! It was horrible. I bet it's much better living in the city. What's it like? What type of things do you do there?_

_Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_  
_Shima Renzou_


	7. April 27, 2000

_._

* * *

_"I said leave him alone!"_

_"Nii-san, wait!"_

Yukio gasped as he awoke with a start. The room around him was blurry but he knew where he was. It wasn't at school. He was sleeping in his brother's bed and his brother was beside him. Yukio didn't know how late it was but with what had happened at school that day, and the talk he had with his brother after...

Yukio just didn't know what to do. He knew Rin felt bad about it, but the way he tried to smile and act like it was okay... Yukio didn't want to make it worse so he just pretended with him. Now, he wondered if that was the right thing to do. Yukio got up and felt around his desk for his glasses. His fingers knocked into them and they fell to the floor with a clatter. Yukio winced and looked back towards his brother's bed. It didn't seem like he'd woken up. Yukio bent down, grabbed his glasses, and put them on. He climbed onto his chair and turned on his desk lamp, hoping the light wouldn't wake his brother up.

He grabbed a paper and pencil and began to write.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_I tried to listen to what you told me before but it didn't work. They kept bothering me even if I tried to ignore them. My brother tried to come help me but they tried to push him out of the way so he got angry. He hurt one of the boys very bad and my teacher took me away before I could do anything. Papa went to the hospital because I think Rin hurt him too..._

_Rin feels really bad about it and I saw him crying but when he saw me he was smiling and saying everything was okay. I don't know if what I did was right but I smiled too. He always told me that he wants to see me happy so I gave him what he wanted but I know he's not happy and I don't know what to do to try and help him. Rin is always helping me and making me feel better and I want to do the same but I don't know how... I'm not very strong so I don't know if there's anything I can do._

_About your question, we have a lot of bugs around here, little black ones, but not many moths._

Yukio remembered the moment his brother began to get angry. The little black bugs had begun to swarm around him... He shivered at the memory.

_We have a playground nearby the monastery so we go there sometimes. I don't know how to ride a bike and neither does Rin so we walk to school. Is riding a bike hard? _

_Hope to hear from you soon._

_Until next time, _

_Okumura Yukio_

_P.S. Sorry about making this letter sad but you're my only friend and so... I hope you don't mind..._

Yukio folded up the letter and turned off the lamp. He took off his glasses again, placed them back, and padded across the floor back to Rin's bed. He curled up next to his brother and began whispering the words his father taught him, the words he had to say whenever there was something scary around. Would it even work for his Nii-san? Well, he'd still try and even if being there for Rin was all he could do, he'd do it.

_Don't worry, Nii-san. I'll help too._


	8. May 1, 2000

Renzou had been lying awake for hours now. He usually had an easy time falling asleep—and staying asleep for that matter. Waking up was what was next to impossible most mornings, even when Kinzou ended up shifting around in the night until his foot was smooshed up against Renzou's cheek.

Today though, Renzou felt completely awake. The letter he had gotten from Yukio was a constant thought that wouldn't leave his mind. He hadn't replied to it, not yet. He hadn't been sure of what to say to that. Even though Suguro had quickly stalked off with a determined look in his eyes after they'd compared letters, Renzou had remained wordless and at a loss.

He was growing attached to Yukio. It was hard not to worry about the meek boy whom seemed so eager to get to know him. Aside from Suguro and Konekomaru, Renzou didn't have many friends around here. It was hard to socialize with others due to the stigma their temple had, even if it was Bon who got the worst of it.

Yukio didn't care about that though. Rather, he didn't know about that. But considering what was happening to him right now, Renzou doubted the other would mind. He was too nice and...

They were friends now, weren't they?

A slight frown crossed Renzou's face. He continued to think long and hard about what to write, and the next morning, soon after ditching his brothers, Renzou found a secluded place to pen his reply.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_I'm sorry about what happened. Sounds like you've got it tough. I didn't think it was that bad. I'm glad your brother was able to come to your rescue, even though things ended up becomin' more complicated because of it. Hope your dad gets better soon. He's okay, right?_

_This whole thing really sucks. I think you've just gotta keep at it, though, ya know? You said the same to me before, 'member? Keep tryin' and smilin'. Don't let it get to ya. They won't stop if ya show 'em any weakness, so keep your chin up. Not that I'm tellin' ya to fight them or anythin' like that though. There's no point in losin' your temper, that just makes things worse. You should tell your brother the same. It ain't worth it in the end... But yeah. I dunno. I'm not very good at giving advice, so sorry if it's no good. Hope that helps somehow though._

_About the bike thing, it's not really that hard to ride one, I guess. Maybe at first, but it's easy to get used to. You should try it sometime._

_Hope things get better for ya, and that I hear from ya soon. Take care, okay?_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	9. May 8, 2000

"You're smiling an awful lot, Yukio."

Yukio looked up at his father. It was just them sitting on the bed. Rin was off making dinner for them and Shiro was still too injured to move about too much. The two brothers had been keeping their father company but for right now, it was just Yukio and Shiro.

"Is that bad?" Yukio asked, fiddling with the letter in his hand.

"'Course it's not!" Shiro laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'm just glad you've found a friend. I think these letters you and your brother are sending are really great for you two. So Rin has told me about Ryuuji-kun, but I haven't heard much from your… Renzou, was it?"

Yukio smiled softly and nodded, looking down at the letter in his hand and the now familiar handwriting. "Ren-kun is… very nice," he said with a smile and a nod. "He's a little brother, too, but his big brothers pick on him so he says I'm lucky. But I think he's lucky too because he gets to live with his best friends!" Yukio pushed up his glasses and looked up at his father. "He's also scared of bugs." He giggled softly.

Shiro smirked. "A boy, scared of bugs?"

"That's not bad!" Yukio defended him immediately. "Lots of people are scared of bugs!"

"Alright, alright." Shiro laughed. "So you really like him, huh? He's a good friend?"

Yukio smiled brighter than before and nodded. "He's a very, very good friend! I like him a lot!"

Shiro grinned in return. "That's good, Yukio. You keep talking to him, then. No matter how far away he is, your feelings will reach him. And I'm sure his feelings will reach you."

Yukio hugged the letter to his chest immediately. "Yeah. Ren-kun, you're my best friend!"

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_He's better now! Papa is home and in bed. The doctor said he couldn't move around a lot for another week so me and my brother are taking very good care of him. Thank you for asking! I don't know if Rin and Papa have talked about what happened but Rin seems to be doing better too. So I think everything is going to be okay now. _

_I don't think I'll get bullied much anymore. They are all scared of my brother. He gets called a demon and a monster a lot. And they don't stop. But my brother doesn't fight anymore so I'm just going to do my best and be with him so he doesn't feel alone. I'm going to tell him to keep his chin up too. You give good advice, Ren-kun. I hope it will help my brother too. _

_Maybe when my Papa gets better, he can teach me to ride a bike. But he said that I'll fall over a lot so we need to get protection. But I'm not afraid of getting hurt. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I always help my brother whenever he gets hurt and he says I'm going to be a great doctor. Papa does too! So I'm going to try my hardest because I don't want to let anyone down. Do you have a dream too?_

_Hope to hear from you soon! Take care!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	10. May 11, 2000

Renzou ignored the annoyed glares Suguro kept shooting him every now and then. His friend had finally found out Rin was actually a boy and was mad that Renzou had kept it a secret until now. Konekomaru had already made them apologize to each other (Renzou for lying, and Suguro for losing his temper), but Renzou was still vastly amused about it all and kept having to bite his lip to avoid snickering.

It got easier to ignore Suguro after he managed to read through Yukio's letter. Renzou smiled genuinely, glad the younger boy was having a better time. His last letter had been pretty somber, but it was obvious things were looking up now.

After shuffling away from his friends slightly, Renzou lay down on his stomach and began to write his reply.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_I'm glad to hear your dad's doin' better and that you're not gettin' bullied anymore. Sucks about your brother though. My friend (Ryuuji, the guy your brother's been talkin' to) got real mad when he heard about that. Hope they stop pickin' on him soon._

_'S cool that ya wanna be a doctor. I don't really have a dream though. Haven't thought much about what I wanna do when I grow up. My brothers are gonna be monks like the rest of my family, but I'm not really interested in that stuff. I'd like to live out in the city maybe. Find a nice girl to date. It would be nice to get out and do somethin' new…_

Renzou's pen stilled as a slight frown crossed his face. He peeked over his shoulder to glance at his friends. They weren't looking at him, but he didn't feel very comfortable right now, writing about these things with them so near. He felt kinda guilty, especially since he hadn't really talked to them about all of this, not really. He always brushed off their questions with a distraction whenever the topic came up. He had a feeling they would understand if he told them but… he didn't want to disappoint them if they didn't. All three of them had to deal with the pressures that came from their families and their lifestyle, and Renzou felt somewhat like a bit of a scaredy-cat for wanting to pull away from it all.

That's why he'd kept it to himself for so long. But now… Now he had Yuki-chan.

Something settled in Renzou's chest at the thought. His shoulders felt lighter, and as he looked back at his letter, a quiet smile grew on his face.

"Ya done?" Suguro grumbled to him a few minutes later after he noticed Renzou pocketing his letter.

"Nah, I'll finish it later," he said with a smile. "How 'bout ya? Finish apologizin' to _Rin-chan _yet?"

Suguro glared daggers at him.

Konekomaru rolled his eyes.

The next moment Renzou found himself alone, he got out his letter again and finished writing it.

_Honestly,_ _I don't think I wanna stay here. I don't wanna follow my family's footsteps or anythin' like that. My friends probably will, and because of that, sometimes I think I'll end up doin' it too. I don't wanna leave them, but at the same time... _

Renzou thought of his parents, of the older brother he'd never met, of Suguro's resolution… It all felt too heavy to deal with. It was unfair that he had to.

_…sometimes I just want to get away from it all. Keep that a secret though, will ya? _

_Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	11. May 15, 2000

The monastery smelled sweeter than normal as Rin busied himself in the kitchen. Yukio took a deep breath through the nose, smiling at the scent of his brother's cookies baking away in the oven. At Yukio's own request, Rin was making two batches. One was being sent over the mail to their friends and the other batch was to remain there at home. His brother had already told him that he'd tell Ryuuji to share so Yukio was happy Ren-kun would be getting cookies as well.

For now, Yukio was curled up on his bed, reading the letter for the third time with his school books on the mattress beside him. He had tried to concentrate on his homework but with Renzou's letter sitting beside him, fluttering in the small draft from the window as if it was waving for attention… Yukio couldn't help himself.

He pulled over one of his text books and placed a blank paper on top of it. He tapped the eraser of his pencil on his lips thoughtfully, wondering what he could say to him. Renzou… didn't have a dream. He didn't know what he wanted to do. Yukio was reminded almost immediately of his big brother. Rin didn't have a dream for the future either. Whenever their teachers asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, Yukio's answer was always the same. He wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to help people.

Rin's answer, admittedly, was always the same too, but for some reason, their teachers never accepted it. Whenever his brother told them he wanted to stay with his family, they'd always try and press for a different answer. Rin never had an answer beyond that. Yukio never saw anything wrong with that. After all, there was no harm in wanting what you wanted, right?

Yukio's eyes lit up and he smiled as the words began coming to him.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_Papa and Rin are both doing a lot better and I think things are going to be okay now. Rin is making cookies today! He's going to send a bunch to Ryuuji, your friend, and he's going to ask him to share them. I hope you like them! My brother cooks very well! _

_About your dream, it's okay! I think that you should do what you want! Rin is like you too, kind of. He just wants to be with family. Our teachers always tell him that he has to think of something else he wants to do but I think that's a good answer. Because, it's your future, right? I want to be a doctor but if you want to just live in the city, that's okay! Maybe we can live in the same city one day and we'll still be friends and I'll give you free check-ups!_

_I'll definitely keep it a secret for you but I think that your friends will understand if you explain it to them. My Papa said that as long as you're honest and your words come from the heart, your feelings will reach them. I think it'll be okay and you don't have to worry, alright?_

_Hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	12. May 18, 2000

The door to his (unfortunately shared) room slammed open.

"Whatcha doin' there, brat?"

Renzou let out a quiet groan as he heard the dreaded voice of his brother. Kinzou seemed to take this as an encouragement for he immediately grinned. His eyes zeroed in on the messy pile of papers sprawled across the small table.

"You writin' another one of those letters? Man, can't believe you're keepin' up with that stuff. I got the worst partner when I was your age." Kinzou snorted.

_Like a pig, _Renzou thought, scowling as he saw his brother approach him with a purposeful grin. He tensed, and the moment he felt his brother prop himself up against him, he began squirming. Kinzou's chin dug into his scalp, making him growl in annoyance.

"Get off!" he complained.

Kinzou ignored him.

"So who'd ya get anyway? Heard you brats got sent cookies today. Don't tell me… Did ya actually get some cute girl?"

Kinzou snickered slightly and reached out to tilt one of the papers his way, leaning his weight on his six-year-old brother to keep him from struggling.

"Don't touch that!"

"Why not? Got somethin' to hide?"

Kinzou picked up the letter and Renzou lashed out with all his strength, trying to snatch it back, but Kinzou merely extended his arm out of reach.

"You're still too slow, little bro," he drawled.

"He's not the only one. Knew I'd find ya here."

The two jumped slightly at the sound of the unexpected voice. Kinzou and Renzou turned their heads and spotted Juuzou standing at the room's entrance scratching the back of his head as he looked at them with an exasperated smile.

"C'mere, ya little idiot. Leave Renzou alone."

"Crap," Kinzou muttered. His face paled and within seconds, both Renzou and his letter found themselves as free of Kinzou's touch. His brother was already trying to escape from the room by climbing out the window but Juuzou quickly caught hold of him and began pulling on his ear.

""M sorry, sorry, sorry! Crap, quit it! Let go!"

"As if. Pops wants to have a talk with ya about that last test grade you got. Don't think you're weaselin' out of it."

"Dammit." Kinzou groaned and began pleading out bargains but Juuzou continued to drag him out without mercy, only pausing once they stepped out of the room to spare Renzou a glance.

"I'll keep him out of your hair for a little while. Try an' finish your homework before I get back, alright?"

Renzou grinned widely.

"'Kay! Thanks, Juu-nii!"

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Glad to hear you're all doin' better! Also, the cookies were awesome! Tell your brother thanks for me, okay? He sounds like a real cool guy from what you've been tellin' me. I kinda envy ya._

_I guess my siblings aren't as bad as I make them out to be though. They can be a pain, but they're mostly nice, especially Juu-nii. He's my oldest brother and he's really nice. I like playin' with him, especially 'cause being with him means hangin' out with Mamushi-neesan who's really cute, even though she gets really angry all the time._

_Uh, she's not really my sister though, that's just what we call her 'cause we're really close. I do have an older sister though! Her name is Jun, but I don't see her all that often. She's older than Juu-nii so she's always hangin' out with her friends from high school and is busy. Juu-nii's in high school too but he's still around a lot, mostly 'cause he's in charge of tutorin' my older brothers (and me, I guess). I do pretty well though. My friends help me out when I need it._

_About what ya said in your last letter... Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Maybe I'll tell them one of these days even though it's hard to talk about it. I'm glad I can at least talk to ya about it. I've never told anyone about any of this before, but it's easy to talk to ya. _

_I know you have your brother an' all, but if ya ever need someone to talk to about things like this, you can always count on me. Gotta do something to earn those free check-ups right? Heheh. _

_Well, hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	13. May 22, 2000

Yukio swung his legs as he braided the pink and blue string side by side. Rin was concentrating hard in the desk beside him, doing his best to make it as perfect as he could, but Yukio had found a happy rhythm to make his friendship bracelet. Of course, when the teacher had begun discussing what they were making, Yukio knew that Rin and he were in the same boat.

After what had happened last month, the other students in the class had taken to avoiding them since they were afraid of Rin. It hurt Yukio knowing that his brother was hurting and there was nothing he could do. But he was happy that Rin had Ryuuji-kun and that he had Ren-kun. At least they had somebody and they were the only people who really deserved these bracelets.

Yukio had deliberated over which colors to use. Blue had always been his favorite so he wanted to use that one. But then the moment he'd seen the pink thread in the large bucket, he'd picked it immediately. Memories of pink hearts on the first letter he ever got from Ren-kun filled his mind every time he saw the color pink. He hoped Ren-kun didn't mind.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_I'm glad you liked the cookies! Rin is really glad too! He got a drawing from Ryuuji-kun and I really like seeing him this happy! I told him you said thanks too and he was even happier!_

_That's really nice of your brother. Rin mostly asks for help from me when it comes to school stuff but the rest of the time Rin is helping me. We both have good older brothers and I'm glad for that! It makes me feel a lot better about you and closer to you too._

_Today in arts and crafts, our teacher told us that friends are important and that we should do our best to keep those people close and make them happy. We made bracelets in class today and our teacher told us to give the bracelet to our closest friends. Together, Rin and I decided that we'd give them to you and Ryuuji-kun! You're my closest friend and I want to keep you close, even if we're far away. I know you drew hearts on the first letter because you thought I was a girl. Ryuuji-kun told my brother that. But that's okay. I'm not mad. Accidents happen, right? And I don't mind you still calling me Yuki-chan either. You're the only one who does it and that's okay with me!_

_I put pink on the bracelet because of the hearts though, I hope you don't mind. I can't help but think of you whenever I see pink and it makes me smile so I'm hoping that it makes you smile too. I really worked hard on it so I hope you like it!_

_Thank you, Ren-kun. I'm really glad you're my friend. You're a nice person and I'm really happy I got your name in this project and that you got mine. Whatever happens, we'll always be friends, right?_

_I hope to hear from you soon! _

_Until next time, _

_Okumura Yukio_


	14. May 25, 2000

"…mean, pops?! Why'd we… this Order?"

"…et, ya little idiot. Pop's tryin' to explain."

_That's Juu-nii's voice_. Renzou crept up closer to the room he'd heard the voice come from and pressed his ear against the door to listen to what was being said.

"… for the best. Naturally, the Houjou's will continue to stand by our side in order to lead the rest of the Myou Dha through this transition. Still, it's vital that each and every one of us participates if we want to keep our ways afloat. I expect all of you to do your best and support us through these times."

"What can we do to help?" Juuzou asked, as usual calm in the face of their father's words.

"I've already discussed this with your mother and we think it's for the best for you to start studying as early as possible. Thankfully, we managed to come to an agreement with the Principal. While the rest of us will undergo remedial training elsewhere, we have been given the opportunity to enroll you all at the Academy at no cost. You'll finish your basic schooling there and attend cram school as well so you can learn their ways. Though, the two of you and Renzou still have quite a while before you have to worry about that," Yazou explained.

"Are you kiddin' me?"

That was Jun's voice.

"I'm about to graduate this year. You seriously want me to change schools just like that? That's gotta be a joke!"

"Sis…"

"Shima-san?"

Renzou jerked away from the door in surprise and nearly bit his tongue upon spotting Konekomaru.

"Dude! Don't startle me!" Renzou hissed quietly at the other, pressing a hand to his chest.

"Sorry…" Konekomaru looked a little solemn. It was an expression that both annoyed Renzou and made him shift on his feet feel guilty.

"No… it's fine. Did ya want somethin'?"

Konekomaru peered up at him with a small frown. His hand pulled the sleeve of his shirt down a bit, his fingers curling around the fabric in a nervous motion. "I'm worried… about Bon and about everyone else… Aren't you?" the smaller boy asked.

Renzou could hear his sister's voice steadily rising from the other side of the door, and their dad was beginning to match her in that same tone. Renzou hid a grimace and reached for Konekomaru's wrist before tugging him away from the corridor.

"Things are gonna be fine," he told him. "Don't worry so much!" He smiled at him, beaming brightly.

Renzou did his best to try to distract his friend. He didn't bring up Bon, or any of the other things that had come up today. There was no point about worrying about things like that. It was adult stuff. Whatever happened with the others was none of their business.

_Bon really oughta learn to see it that way, _Renzou thought exasperatedly.

When he finally got back to his room, his brothers still weren't there. He frowned for a second but he followed his own advice and decided to get ready for bed without questioning it. As he was changing clothes, he finally remembered that they had received their letters this morning. He hadn't had a chance to look at his yet. Taking advantage of the fact that he was alone, Renzou quickly opened it up and began to read it. Seeing the bracelet that came along with it made him smile, and a little thrill ran through him once he finished putting it on. The pink color of the bracelet was silly and kinda girly, but he didn't mind it all that much. Of course, he was a little embarrassed that Yuki-chan had found out about the mishap but he had expected Bon to rat him out after the other day.

He wasted no time writing his response.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Thanks for the bracelet! I like it a bunch. Hope you like what I sent ya too. Have you ever done origami? We do it over here from time to time. It's supposed to help us meditate because we're concentratin' on doin' the same movements over and over again. I usually hate it when we have to go and meditate, but I like doin' this. It's nice. Keeps my hands busy too, which is the only reason I don't end up fallin' asleep like usual._

_In case you can't really tell, what I sent ya is supposed to be a lotus flower. It's the one we know how to do best for obvious reasons. Thought it'd be fittin', heheh. 'Cause it's pink._

_Glad you aren't mad about the whole confusin' ya for a girl thing by the way. At least I didn't take as long as Ryuuji to figure it out! He's reeeeal slow about these things. I figured it out after the first time you wrote back to me. Also, glad ya don't mind me callin' you Yuki-chan after all of this. It'd be kinda of weird to switch all of the sudden. I've already gotten completely used to it. You're the only person who calls me Ren-kun too, ya know._

_Anyway, gotta say I agree with ya. I'm also happy I got ya as my partner. You're pretty awesome, Yuki-chan. I'm always lookin' forward to your letters. So don't worry, we're definitely always goin' to be friends. Promise._

_Well, hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	15. May 29, 2000

Yukio ran his small fingers over the pink paper flower. He was seated in his room, on his bed, with Renzou's most recent letter sitting folded in his lap. He felt like there were butterflies fluttering in his stomach. No one besides his family had ever given him a gift and to receive something so nice… Something that Ren-kun made himself… Yukio had to smile. He twirled it between his fingers and he didn't really know what to do.

He just really sort of wanted to watch it. Yukio was scared to touch it too much, lest he undo it, but he was so enraptured by it. Just by looking at it, he felt like he could see Renzou's hands folding paper and putting it together. He wondered if he'd made it while thinking of Yukio or if he'd just grabbed one he had made before.

Either way, it made Yukio smile. Especially because it was pink.

He didn't know how long it took for him to switch his position to lying down in his bed, watching the flower as he held it above his face. He didn't know how long he played with the flower in his hands before he lost his grip and it fell down, bouncing off his glasses as he gave a surprised yelp.

"Oops." Yukio adjusted his glasses and turned his head, relief spreading through him when he saw the paper flower sitting on the sheets unharmed. He smiled.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_This is so cool! The flower was really pretty and I'm keeping it on my desk from now on, okay? I promise I'll take good care of it! I want to look at it every day because it's something you gave me and so it's precious. I'm really happy you gave me one. Thank you!_

_That sounds really good. I don't really know how to meditate but do you know how to make other things with origami? I know my dad knows how to make a crane. He made it once for us a long time ago. I don't know where it went. But I'd really like to learn how to make these! Maybe when we live in the same city like we said, you can teach me one day, okay? You have to promise!_

_We have a big cherry blossom tree in front of the monastery and it was in full bloom just a couple weeks ago but most of the petals have fallen down by now. Do you have cherry blossom trees near your temple? If you don't, maybe next year I can send you one of the flowers. I know there's a way to press them but I don't know how to do it. Maybe Papa does. If he doesn't then I'll try and find a book on how to do it the next time we go to the library. Or maybe we have a book on it here! But I don't think so. All the books that we have here in the storage are old and dusty and all religion stuff. So I think I will have to go to the library after all._

_I always look forward to your letters too! I wish we can meet soon. I like writing to you, but I really want to play with you and stuff. We have a playground that me and my brother and my Papa always go to nearby and I think it would be fun if you and Ryuuji-kun could come too. I'm very happy we're going to be friends for always. Even if I start making new friends, you'll always be my first and best so I never want to lose you! You're important and precious to me and one day we'll play together and you can teach me how to do origami and I can make sure you don't get sick. _

_I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	16. June 1, 2000

Renzou's face heated up slightly as he stared at the letter in front of him.

_"Important and precious"? Sheesh. Sometimes ya really sound like a girl, Yuki-chan. _

The six-year-old couldn't believe his friend had written that. Even though he agreed with the sentiment, to put it in those words was completely embarrassing. He'd have understood if the other had called him awesome or cool, but "important and precious" sounded weird. Nice, but weird.

"Hey, there ya are!"

"Bon?"

Renzou jumped slightly at the unexpected voice and turned to look at Suguro whom had slid the door to his room open.

"What's up? Thought ya were goin' to go reply to Rin."

"I was. Still am. It's just that I wanna send him a photo of us this time and was gonna go ask my mom for some now. Want me to see if she can get some for ya too?"

"Huh?"

Renzou was caught off-guard but he quickly agreed to it.

"Good idea, Bon! We should get some for Koneko-san too!"

"Yeah! Wanna wait in my room? I'll meetcha there after I go tell mom."

"Gotcha!"

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Guess what? We're sending ya guys pictures of us! It was Ryuuji's idea. Well, more like your brother's idea since he's the one who mentioned it, but whatever. _

_I didn't feel like writing it out here, but I wrote on the back of the pictures so you know who's who. Sent ya a picture of me, one of my friends, and one of my siblings, 'cept for my lil sister 'cause she hasn't been born yet. It's supposed to happen soon but I don't know when. Hope you guys can show us what you look like too! All I know is that you're really pale but that's 'bout it. _

_Glad ya liked what I sent ya. I'll definitely teach ya how to make 'em someday, okay? It's real easy. _

_We don't have any cherry blossom trees near our temple, but we've definitely seen them before. We went to the festival the other week. Did you? You're lucky you've got one right outside your house though. Anyway, what's the point of pressing flowers? Never heard of someone doin' that. Doesn't that just kill them? That's what it sounds like, but I'm probably wrong. Tell me about this more when you reply!_

_It really sucks that we live so far away from each other. I hope we can meet one day, 'cause I wanna play with ya too. Have you played baseball before? We play that a lot over here since we've got a lot of space to run around. It's usually just the three of us, but my brothers sometime join us too. We don't really have many friends from school or anything. Our temple's got a bit of a bad reputation, ya see. But it's no big deal. I've got Ryuuji, Koneko, and Yuki-chan, an' that's all that matters. _

_Well, hope to hear you from soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	17. June 5, 2000

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_We really love your pictures! Thank you! You look really different from what I thought you'd look like but I still like it! You look really nice._

_We went to this playground next to the monastery and took a lot of pictures. The one I sent you has me, Rin, and Papa! I'm the one with the glasses. I can't see well without them. I bet you can tell who Rin and Papa are after that without a problem, right? Haha!_

_Your flower is on my desk. I like it there where I can see it. The rest of your letters I keep in a box safe under my brother's bed. We have a bunk bed and I sleep on the top so we keep our letter boxes together at the bottom._

_I think it's a way of keeping a flower like something that makes you happy. But, now that you say it, it does kill it. Maybe I shouldn't do that. After all, if you really love something, you should want to keep it alive, right? I like watching the tree bloom during spring so I'll just wait to see the flowers alive instead of pressing one and killing it. Next year when they bloom again, I'll send you lots of pictures instead. _

_I've played baseball before at school! I'm not very good at it because my glasses kept getting knocked off and I couldn't swing fast enough. But Rin said to keep trying and with practice, I'll get better. So I'll keep trying so that maybe we can play baseball together some day! I don't have any friends at school either. All I have is Papa, Rin, and Ren-kun. So if we've got each other, it should all be alright!_

_I hope to hear from you soon! _

_Until next time, _

_Okumura Yukio_

Yukio finished coloring in the heart with his pink crayon and folded up the letter. He slipped it, and the picture, into the envelope and closed it. His eyes wandered to the new addition to his desk's décor.

The picture Renzou had sent him was propped up against his lamp with the origami flower sitting at its base, keeping it upright. Rin had done something similar with Ryuuji's picture at his desk.

Yukio smiled, matching the smile that his friend held in the photo. He'd never been happier than in the last couple months he'd been exchanging letters with his now best friend. He felt stronger. Smarter. He had learned a lot while writing to Ren-kun and he really hoped that they'd never stop. It was easy to envision writing letters and one day meeting Renzou even when they were older. He wanted it more than anything.

_Until next time._ Yukio looked at the envelope in his hand and smiled brightly.

_Hopefully that won't be too far off!_


	18. December 22, 2003

"Whatcha doin'?"

Renzou looked up from what he had been doing and glanced at his door. The sight of his little sister made him instantly smile.

"I'm wrapping up a present for a friend of mine," he told Yumi as he watched her approach.

"It's pink!" Yumi said with a small frown. She looked up at him questioningly.

Renzou chuckled slightly. "Yeah, it is." He glanced at the small rectangular present he had just finished wrapping up, running a hand over the smooth, glossy pink paper.

"It's a bit of a habit of ours, sending each other pink things," he explained.

Yumi giggled. "You're weird, Ren-nii. Christmas presents are suppos'd be red and green. Pink's for spring!" she told him wisely.

"Oh?" Renzou grinned at her words and picked up a red origami flower he had on his desk. "I'll keep that in mind when I'm wrapping your next present, squirt." She grimaced at the nickname but her expression quickly shifted back into a smile as he handed her the flower. "Lucky for me, I had one of these on hand. Would've been pretty embarrassing of me to make that mistake."

"I can keep it?" Yumi asked in excitement, looking at the carefully folded flower with awe.

"'Course. But anyway, what are ya doin' here? Thought ya were supposed to be with Kin-nii."

"He went out," Yumi reported promptly. She tucked the small flower behind her ear and looked at him expectantly. Though her long tresses kept it from falling, it was a precarious hold. Renzou reached over to fix it as best as he could.

"Beautiful. And so?"

Pleased, Yumi beamed at him and continued. "He went out to go see Gou-nii, but said I couldn't go with him. When's he comin' back? I miss him."

Yumi was referring to Gouzou, of course. Their older brother had been out of commission for the past few days, holed up at the infirmary in one of the Order's facilities from what Renzou had heard. A mission gone bad or something like that; Renzou hadn't paid much attention to the explanation, all he knew was that it hadn't been critical, thankfully.

"He'll be back soon. Maybe in another week. He definitely won't miss New Year's," he assured his sister.

"You sure?"

"Mhmm. Well, since Kin-nii's missin' why don't ya stay around here with me? I'm gonna finish writin' a letter and then let's see if we can find somethin' to do."

"Can ya teach me how to make these flowers?"

"Only if you promise to help me pull a prank on Kin-nii later."

"Deal!"

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Happy birthday! Hope this letter gets to ya on time this year! Also hope you and your brother like what we sent ya. I know it ain't much, but we thought you guys would like somethin' to do together. I feel like all you've been doin' lately is hittin' the books, and I know ya like readin' and all but even you need a break from it every once in a while, right? _

_That said, I still ended up sendin' ya another book to read. Juu-nii helped me out a bit with this one. I really wanted to getcha somethin' nice this year, and I know you've been curious about traditional Chinese medicine, so we gotcha a whole handbook on it. It looks a little complicated, but since it's Yuki-chan, I figured ya wouldn't mind at all. _

_Man, can't believe the year's comin' to an end already. This time next December will be our last before we head on to middle school. Wonder what that's gonna be like. I'm thinkin' of gettin' a part-time job then, see if I start savin' up some money. Juu-nii's been real nice and keeps treating us to these awesome snacks whenever he gets paid, but there's a ton of stuff I wanna buy too, and I also gotta save up if I want to move to the city. Thinking about all of this makes me wish that time would just hurry up! _

_But anyway tell me more about that project you've been doin' for school. Sounds interesting. I'm not really into stuff like demons or whatever, but ghost stories are cool! I know a bunch of them. We used to scare some of the kids at school with them a while back to get them to leave us alone. Well, that was mostly me actually, but Ryuuji and Koneko have a mean streak too sometimes, if ya can imagine. We don't do it anymore though. Don't wanna keep spreading any bad rumors about us now that we finally moved out of our old place. Gotta say, I'm never gonna stop feelin' grateful about this! It takes way less time to get to school now, which means I get to sleep in. Also, less bugs! Life's good, man._

_Well, hope to hear from ya soon. Merry Christmas, hope your birthday's been awesome, and in case you don't get to reply in time, Happy New Year's too! _

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	19. December 27, 2003

_To answer In The Forest's question, yes, all of Shima's siblings are canon. We have no idea what Jun, Gouzou, and Yumi's personalities are like of course, or their exact ages, but we do know their birth order which is: Takezou (dead), Jun, Juuzou (25), Gouzou, Kinzou (20), Renzou (16), and Yumi. _

_As usual, thanks for all your lovely reviews! We're glad you're enjoying our fic. Also, Menko is a Japanese card game. _

* * *

They had to have played Menko ten times by now. Rin was in love with the game that had been sent to them by their friends in Kyoto but Yukio needed a breather. While Rin was cooking dinner, the younger of the two had retreated to their room with his own present, a present that Rin had called boring but Yukio found utterly fascinating.

That, and he couldn't stop playing with the pink bookmark that had come tucked underneath its cover.

Lately, any gift they sent each other had some sort of pink attached to it. It was a habit they picked up starting with the friendship bracelet he'd sent to Ren-kun as a child. They never stopped and they weren't really embarrassed by it. Of course, Rin had teased Yukio about the various pink items he's collected over the years but it was okay. Rin just didn't understand.

To be honest, Yukio didn't understand either. All he knew was that whenever he saw something pink in the store, all he wanted to do was send it to his friend. Of course he didn't always do that, but he was starting to gain an affinity for the color. He had a couple pink shirts and cardigans that dotted his closet and he didn't mind. It only felt like he held Ren-kun closer.

But middle school was starting soon and Yukio knew he was going to get a lot busier. He wanted to hold Ren-kun closer than ever. His eyes darted to his desk where several books from his exorcist training sat beside Renzou's letter. Yukio got up, passed a finger over the pink origami lotus flower, and put the books aside. Just for right now. He'd get back to studying later.

He had a letter to write.

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_Thank you so much for the presents! The package arrived just on time. When the mailman came this morning with three heavy packages, he looked a bit tired. It seemed like he'd been working hard so Nii-san gave him some Christmas cookies as thanks._

_I've really enjoyed the book so far! There's so much information in here and it's so interesting to read. I'm learning a lot and I've only gotten through one chapter. Send my thanks to Juuzou-san as well for helping you. Speaking of presents, Nii-san and I sent ours over there about a week ago. I hope it arrived there in time. I got something for you, and Nii-san got something for Ryuuji-kun and then Father helped us pick out something for the three of you._

_A part-time job, huh? That would be pretty nice. I think you would do well in a store or a restaurant. Somewhere with customers. You have a nice charisma and I'm sure they'd hire you in an instant. Then again, you'll probably never leave the girls alone so probably not a good idea. Just make sure not to get too hard of a job. Middle school might be tough and I don't want to see you overworked. Nii-san is also talking about part-time jobs but Father told him that it wasn't a good idea, not until he got his grades up. I still worry about Nii-san sometimes but hopefully things will be better in middle school._

_About the project, it's really nothing special but I am spending more time with Father lately as a result. And of course you would! Please don't scare little kids, Ren-kun. You should charm them with your smile instead. I'm glad the rumors have stopped, though. I'm happy to hear you're doing better and enjoying yourself. The rumors must have been hurtful. The city is good regarding bugs but be careful around summertime. I bet it's just as bad. Make sure you carry around some bug spray._

_Thank you again for the gifts. Nii-san is calling me again to play so I'll have to bring this letter to a close. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you had a good time, Ren-kun! Hope to hear from you again soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_


	20. January 5, 2004

_Sheesh, Yuki-chan…_

Renzou smiled slightly as he stared at himself in the mirror. The necklace Yuki-chan had sent him was hanging off his neck.

"This is as girly as it gets, heh…" Despite his words, Renzou couldn't help but to feel happy at the sight of the small pink orb sitting across his chest. It had been a week since he'd gotten it and he still couldn't help but to stare at it every time he got dressed. He was growing used to the unfamiliar weight, and he found comfort in the reminder that his friend had been thinking of him when he'd bought this. He felt tempted to get him something like this in return, but Yuki-chan didn't seem like the type of guy who wore jewelry. Renzou, on the other hand, was growing very fond of it. Kinzou had gotten really into music lately, so a lot of music magazines had started to pop up around their house and Renzou kept seeing the artists on the covers with their hairs dyed in all types of color, wearing flashy clothes and flashier jewelry. Some of them even had their ears pierced. They all looked so cool…

The necklace around his neck made him feel just as cool. Still, he didn't want to show it off to anyone, especially not his brothers. Kinzou teased him enough already, and the last thing Renzou wanted was for his brother to tease him about wearing a girly-looking necklace, or worse—to tease him about wanting to imitate him.

_As if… _Renzou thought with a derisive scoff. He finished getting dressed, and after deciding to ditch his morning chores, he headed straight for his desk to go write the reply he hadn't had the chance to until now.

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Thanks for the presents, especially the monopoly! This game's super fun, and man, Koneko keeps beating us almost every time. We're really enjoying it. Well, not the losin' part obviously, but we're getting' better at this, heheh. Liked the necklace too. I'm wearing it right now, but I keep it hidden under my clothes most of the time. Don't want Kin-nii to get a look, 'cause he'd tease the heck out of me, that jerk. It's cool though, I really do like it, I promise. _

_Everythin' did arrive on time, by the way. Got here the day after I sent ya that letter. Sorry I got back to you so late, by the way. Things got a bit busy with New Year's and all. I'm sooo stuffed, and really tired too, but it's been fun. Wish ya were here though. Bet it would be a lot funner with you guys around. I kinda feels like ya are sometimes considerin' how much we talk about you guys. Ryuuji tries not to, but he ends up goin' on and on about your brother almost all the time. It's kinda funny. Koneko's weird though. He still obsessively writes to this Kyouya dude but never really talks about him. You know that kid? I've been meanin' to ask ya about that since forever but it always slips off my mind. What's the deal with him?_

_Anyway, Yumi keeps askin' about ya lately. I've been talking to her about ya for the past week 'cause she came into my room the other day when I was writin' that letter to you. She's gotten completely interested in ya, not that I'm surprised. I'm sure you'll be surrounded by girls by this time next year, and it'll be even better in middle school~ Man, I can't wait 'til we graduate! But anyway, Yumi said she wants to send ya a flower next time. I've been teachin' her, ya see. We'll probably send some next week, but you don't gotta keep them. Don't want to fill you with clutter, ya know?_

_Anyway, I'm happy to hear ya liked the book! Was hoping ya would. There's something else I've been wantin' to save up for but that's gonna have to wait once I get that job. It's a secret though, so I ain't tellin' no matter how much you ask! _

_A store or a restaurant sounds like a good idea, but it's gotta be something cool. Convenience stores kinda suck because ya get all kinds of customers. Something like a cafe would be great! __ Doubt I'll be able to find anythin' that good though. I'll probably be walkin' dogs or somethin', ugh. Ah, don't worry too much about my grades by the way. I do just fine, and it's not like it's that big of a deal. You know I don't got any plans to get into a high-end university when all of this is over. Any job is fine by me just as long as I don't have to stay over here. The problem for now is gettin' one, heh._

_Well, since I ran out of things to say, I'll just end this before it gets any longer (sorry!). Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	21. January 8, 2004

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_I'm glad you guys are enjoying yourselves! Nii-san was worried that you guys wouldn't understand the rules but I assured him that it wasn't that difficult. About the necklace, I hope it isn't too girly. When I bought it, the store clerk asked me if I was buying it for my girlfriend. It was embarrassing but I really couldn't see anything else there that reminded me of you. So I'm glad you like it after all. I was worried!_

_I don't mind the tardiness. After all, things were busy here too. Father's coat caught fire due to a misplaced firework but other than that, the holidays were rather enjoyable! Nii-san made a big feast so it was all delicious. One day you should come for the holidays. Nii-san's food is the best! Cooking is his only skill, heh!_

_About Kyouya, I assume you mean Hibari Kyouya? I'm surprised. He never spoke to anyone and was always impossible. He skipped school numerous times but he was always in the top five in class. So even when he tried to pick fights with my brother, the teachers wouldn't do anything about him. He transferred out last year though and, to my knowledge, moved out of the city entirely to a smaller town. I believe his parents went to work overseas so they probably wanted to leave Hibari-san in a smaller town rather than a big city. However, this is all just speculation and I'm not really fond of gossip. Why not just ask Konekomaru-kun yourself?_

_I don't mind keeping the flower! It'd be rude to throw it away. And besides, it's from your sister so I wouldn't throw it away anyway. I'm NOT looking forward to being surrounded by girls, you know. It's all so awkward and no matter how I try to convince them I'm not interested, they keep coming! I don't know how you deal with it..._

_A secret, huh? I can't say I'm not curious but I hope it won't cost you too much money. I'd rather you save it for yourself than spend a lot of money on me. Residences in the city are expensive after all._

_I don't mind if your letters are long, Ren-kun. I guess it makes me feel closer to you. I wish you were here too._

_I guess I've run out of things to say as well. I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_

"Yukio, are you done?" A knock accompanied the familiar voice and the young boy looked back to see his father entering the room. Shiro crossed his arms and looked over Yukio. "Well, don't you look grown up."

Yukio stood and smoothed out his new blazer. A red and black tie was fastened neatly under his collar and black slacks fit well and held up by a black belt.

"Does it all fit okay?" Yukio pushed up his glasses as he looked down at himself.

"It looks just fine. You finished that letter?" Shiro nodded towards the desk.

"Oh, yeah!" Yukio grabbed the letter and quickly folded it. He slipped it into the previously addressed envelope.

"Good. We'll put it in the mail on our way out." Shiro grinned. "Shura's waiting for us at the Academy."

Yukio wrinkled his nose at the mention of the name but he nodded. He'd be starting to train with actual guns soon so he couldn't skimp out on the lessons… Things were only going to get more difficult from here on out but it would be fine as long as he could still write to Ren-kun. Yukio held the letter tighter to his chest.

"Ready to go?"

Yukio took a deep breath and nodded. He grabbed his bag and followed his father out the door.

* * *

_____Hey guys, as usual, thanks for sticking around with us thus far! We're happy to hear you're enjoying Until Next Time. _The format of the following chapters is going to change a bit for a while. Make sure to keep in mind that there will be **no timeskipping** within those chapters. We'll be sure to tell you when the next time skip happens. Thanks for reading!


	22. August 2006

Sorry for the wait! Renzou is currently 13. Yukio is 12. :)

* * *

_August 10, 2006_

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_I got the job! Oh, man, you have no idea how excited I am about all of this. I've been lookin' forward to this day for way too long! Still can't believe I managed to convince them to hire me, bein' a first year and all. Don't think they'll let me keep it up once we're back in school, but maybe if I do well enough? Hopefully. My parents don't seem to mind, so that kinda helps for now. Hate to say it, but Kin-nii also ended up bein' helpful for once. He had a friend hook me up with it, but now I owe him a favor, ugh. I seriously thought about goin' for that job at the ice cream shop instead, but I couldn't resist in the end. Clothing stores, man! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity kinda thing! I just couldn't bear to turn it down, no matter what._

_But okay, so the first day… I was kinda nervous of course, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, especially once all the chicks started comin' in! 'Course they totally ignored me and I'm not supposed to bother the customers, but man, this is totally heaven! __ And that cutie from my class, Suzu-chan, totally dropped by too! I got the chance to talk to her a little since she recognized me and all. I managed to make her smile and she said she was gonna drop by again later this week. Aah, I'm so lucky! Seriously, everything about this job is so freakin' great! I haven't been this excited about doin' anythin' in forever. Seriously not lookin' forward to going back to school, but oh well. Gonna enjoy this while I can and save up. You should see the awesome kind of things they sell around here! _

_Anyway, to answer your question, yeah, yeah… I'm kinda done with summer homework, okay? I just gotta do a bit more, don't worry. I'll finish it in time. Even if ya hadn't reminded me, I got those two at my back too, 'member? I'll be fine. Suppose I shouldn't ask how you're doin', should I? With ya aimin' for the top spot of the class, ya can't afford to slack off, I know. Still, I'm gonna keep telling ya until gets through your head: don't stress too much over it! You're gonna do just fine. Take it easy every once in a while, okay?_

_Well, gotta wrap this up for now. Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_

* * *

_August 13, 2006_

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! You have to make sure to sincerely thank Kinzou-san for this! I'm glad you didn't get the job at the ice cream shop, though. You would have been snacking on the toppings all day. At least this way, you can get discounts for nice clothes. Even if they don't let you stay, do your best with the time you've got!_

_It sounds like you're having fun! I got a bit of a job too. Father introduced me to it but it's not as reliable as yours. I sort of go whenever they call me. It's good for homework since I'm not out all day but not for money. Regardless, I'll save up what I get! I had a lot of homework this vacation so I'm thankful. I wouldn't want to be too overworked._

_Sorry for worrying so much. I suppose I do worry about you a lot. I know you can manage it. Even though you're a slacker, you get it done on time. I guess all your procrastinating just makes me anxious from all the way over here! Still, it's just best to get it done earlier so you don't have to worry. You can balance your homework and work, right? Put your school work as priority!_

_Sorry, there I go again. Nii-san calls me mom and says I nag too much. I can't help it though. He hasn't done any of his homework and is always reading manga! Sometimes I think it's his fault I'm like this, what with the way he acts all the time… _

_With my job, I've got plenty of time so I've worked out my schedule. I should be done with homework tomorrow. Doing a little bit each day really gets it done quickly. I wish Nii-san will understand that. He's going to be doing everything the last week. Of course I'm going to keep studying until school starts up again, but I promise I'll relax a bit today. _

_Do your best! Hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_

* * *

_August 17, 2006_

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_You got a job too? Not sure whether I should congratulate ya or berate ya! What's the job anyway? Glad it doesn't take up much of your time at least, since you've got enough on your plate. I know you're good at pacin' yourself, but isn't this goin' a little overboard? You're way too hard on yourself, man! You're gonna start growin' gray hairs early if you keep up this pace. Seriously, I'm all for gettin' spending money, but in your case, if the job gets to be too much for you, just quit. You're gonna be a doctor, right? You'll be fine as long as ya keep your grades up, so don't sweat the small stuff._

_As for my grades, seriously quit worryin' so much. Dunno about your brother, but at least I'm doin' fine enough to breeze through my classes without my parents gettin' on my case. I don't have to try as hard as ya either since I don't have big plans for the future. Still, I'll do my best for ya, Yuki-chan. Just as long as you promise not to overwork yourself!_

_Anyway, let's quit talkin' about school for now, okay? We're still in summer vacation! Let's enjoy it while we can. Did ya at least get a chance to go anywhere nice yet? I'm thinkin' of draggin' Ryuuji and Koneko to the beach once I have a day off. Then again, maybe I'll invite Suzu-chan with me. Gotta talk to her a bit more before I can do that, I guess, hahah… _

_Oh, yeah. I ended up finding out what Kin-nii wanted from me a lot sooner than I thought I would. He's apparently serious about wanting to start a music band so he wants me to help him set up for rehearsals an' advertise his performances with my classmates and stuff. It's a complete pain in the ass, but I owe him one, so I guess all I can do is complain about it now. Can't believe my parents are lettin' him get away with this. _

_Well, I'll tell ya more about how this is goin' next time. Don't think it'll end up workin' out 'cause Kin-nii's kind of an idiot, but we'll see. Take care and hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_

* * *

_August 21, 2006_

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_Now who's worrying too much? It's fine! I'm managing well and I've got it all planned out. I can handle it. And I'm definitely going to keep my grades up so you don't need to worry about that. Since my Father introduced me to this job, however, it'd be rude to just quit. And besides, I want to do it! It'll be fine._

_Again, sorry for being a bit overbearing. Nii-san complains about it too. I know you don't have big plans, but what ARE you planning on doing in the future? I know you always talk about moving to the city and stuff, but there's a lot of opportunities here that you could take advantage of. Maybe if you study business, you can open up your own clothes shop! I think you'd be good at it._

_As for me, I promise I'll keep to my plan. I won't overwork myself and everything should be fine. _

_We don't go on vacation very often since Father's job is rather demanding. But we spent a day last week in Southern Cross Mall and that was fun. You should have seen Nii-san bouncing from store to store. I think he was more excited about the mall than anyone else there. Have fun at the beach, though! And don't be creepy with girls you barely know. It's best to go with friends anyway. You don't want to make Ryuuji-kun and Konekomaru-kun feel left out. If you're going to take a girl, maybe Yumi-chan would be the best option. _

_Kinzou-san starting a band? What kind of music does he play? That's really interesting. I didn't think someone like him would be allowed to do that, considering your family is a family of monks. And don't be so down about it. You could meet really interesting people while helping him out. Maybe even a cute girl fan if Kinzou-san gets popular enough. Do your best and encourage him to do the same and I'm sure things will work out!_

_Meanwhile, over here, it's just as I thought. Nii-san is rushing through his homework last minute. He's begged me to copy my homework about seven times today. Could you tell Ryuuji-kun about this? Maybe Nii-san would be more inclined to listen to him than me. Honestly, it's getting tiresome. _

_I hope things are going well for you by the time this letter arrives. Do your best in your work and don't forget school starts up again soon! Take care and hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_

_PS. You did finish your homework, right?_

* * *

_August 25, 2006_

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_I'm not gonna stop worryin', but I trust ya. I had a feelin' you would say that anyway. You've never been a quitter like me. Still, if things get too tough on ya, you can always come and complain to me. Don't hold back, okay? I seriously don't get how ya get the patience to deal with all the things that ya do, but if ya let all that stress pile up, it's bound to get overwhelmin' one of these days._

_Sheesh, this is why I'm the one that has to worry about ya, not the other way around. _

_Anyway, I finished my homework, okay? I did! Well, it's more like I told Ryuuji about your brother for ya, but then he got on my case too. Ugh. Well, I was almost done anyway... I was workin' on it 'cause I promised ya I would! Still, when that guy gets on my case, it's the worst. He's so damn relentless! I don't mind it when it's you though. Yuki-chan is much sweeter than Bon~! Trust me, you're definitely not as overbearing as he is._

_About my plans for the future... Well, openin' up my own clothes shop sounds too ambitious... It's fine if I just get a job at one of these kinds of places though. For now, I'll just do my best with the part-time job I've got and any other I end up having later on until I graduate from high school. Hopefully, by the time I move up to the city, I'll be able to get a job easily with all the experience I'm gaining. _

_But seriously, it's way too early to think about these things. You've gotta lighten up! Speaking of which, don't be mean, Yuki-chan! Is it that bad to want to go on a date with someone? Girls are the best! They're nice to look at, and kind too, and when you manage to get them to smile, it's the best sensation in the world. Don't you wonder what it'll be like to kiss one sometimes? Jun-nee always looks the happiest when she has a boyfriend so it must be nice. Once we're back at school, don't be reclusive, okay? You guys aren't kids anymore and the bullyin's stopped, hasn't it? Plus with your brother being in a different class from ya, I'm sure none of the girls are scared to approach ya anymore. Give it a chance! _

_To get back to your question, dunno what music Kin-nii plans to play yet. I've been tryin' to avoid him like a plague lately. His room's a mess though. I'm surprised mom isn't giving him an earful about it. There's papers all over the place! I caught a glimpse of some the lyrics he's been writing. They're awful, hahah. Don't think this is gonna end up goin' anywhere, so it'll be a no-go on the meetin' cute girl fans opportunity. Honestly, I don't even want to advertise that I'm related to him... Maybe I can weasel out of it somehow. We'll see. _

_Anyway, take care and keep my words in mind. Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


	23. September 2006

Hey guys, here's this week's chapter. As usual, thanks for reading and for your kind reviews. Enjoy!

* * *

_September 2, 2006_

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_I'm sweeter, huh? I bet you say that to all the girls. _

_And you know Ryuuji-kun is just trying to help, right? Don't be so hard on him. He's just worried about you. But thank you for delivering my message for me. Nii-san complained to me earlier but he's been working harder ever since so your hard work paid off. Who knew we could help each other from so far away?_

_Don't worry, Ren-kun. I know you're here for me and I won't forget that. In fact, the first week of school has been rather hectic and all I could think of was how you could possibly handle it. The morning of my first day was just filled with girls asking me how my vacation went and if I went anywhere special. They seemed a little let down when I told them I just did homework and went to the mall. I don't know what I said wrong. How do you do this kind of thing? Talking with girls is nerve-wracking! Especially when I'm on my own. I couldn't imagine kissing one. Sometimes I wish Nii-san was in the same class just so I could have someone to go to when it gets to be too much. They just don't leave me alone!_

_There's nothing wrong with aiming high, Ren-kun. I think you really could run a clothes shop if you wanted to! You've got the charisma and the smarts for it. Not to mention I'm sure you know how to sell something. You just seem like that kind of guy. Don't be afraid to be ambitious since it's your future. There's nothing wrong with going the extra mile._

_About Kinzou-san, I think you should help him. He was the one that got you the job, you know? You should be grateful. Put your all into it and if it doesn't work out, he can't blame you for it. But if you try and run off, I'm sure he'll turn it around on you. You don't want that on your back, do you? Just do your best with what you've got and it'll be fine. _

_Anyway, first week and I've already got tons of homework to do. Luckily with school back in session, Father is lightening my load for work so I'll have time to study for exams and such that are coming up in a few months. How has school been going for you so far? Well, I hope. _

_I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Until next time, _

_Okumura Yukio_

* * *

_September 6, 2006_

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Oops, you caught me. Heheh. Anyway, it's not like I say that type of things to all the girls. Just... some of them..._

_Like Suzu-chan~! And guess who just got a date with her this weekend? That's right! I managed to ask her out and she said yes! I'm so freakin' excited, man! Gonna be tellin' ya all about this in my next letter, heheh._

_Oh man, I've been waitin' to tell ya that all week! Glad ya finally got back to me. Also glad I managed to help ya out with your brother! I went through all that effort after all... If it hadn't worked out I might've cried...! _

_Anyway, I knew it~ I totally knew it! You're a pretty popular guy these days, aren't ya? Listen, don't be so nervous about it. Well, I guess there's some girls that like the shy-type, but just try to keep your cool and smile at them. Try to switch the conversation around so you don't have to talk 'bout yourself. Ask them questions! Girls love that. And if you manage to land a date like me, don't freak out! If even my idiot brother can manage to kiss a girl without messin' up, you can definitely do it, Yuki-chan! _

_...Holy crap, even though I said that, now I'm freakin' out a bit. I'm so excited about this weekend!_

_I think I'm gonna be pretty useless regardin' school stuff until I get this over with. What the hell do you do on a first date? We agreed to meet at the mall, so we're just gonna walk around and maybe get something to eat, and then… I have no idea, man. I've been thinking about this all week and still can't wrap my head around it..._

_Oh, yeah! Keep this a secret from your brother, okay? I haven't told Ryuuji or Koneko yet. I'll get to that... maybe. I wanna see how this ends up workin' out first. Let's just keep it all between us for now._

_Also, 'bout your advice, I'll keep it in mind. But I'll worry about it later. For now, I'm gonna go tackle my pile of homework (I'm doin' my best, okay! Won't be entirely useless!), and worry more about this weekend._

_Hope to hear from ya soon!_

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_

* * *

_September 18, 2006_

_Dear Ren-kun,_

_I'm sorry I got back to you so late. Homework and studying has been draining me and it's been difficult to really sit down and write your letter. I feel bad for making you wait so long!_

_How did the date go? Well, I hope. Did you have any other dates with her yet? _

_I tried to follow your advice but things have been difficult with the girls. They really insist on learning more about me and I've just taken to avoiding them as much as I could. It's rather troublesome considering I sometimes have to retreat to the nurse's office. The nurse really knows me well by now. _

_No kisses yet and I don't think I'll land a date any time soon. I have to focus more on my school work and I don't really have the time to date._

_I won't tell my brother, so not to worry. Nii-san is busy wrapped up in his own world. Getting him to do homework is difficult enough and he tends to avoid me after school these days. He's hanging out with Father more often and dodging homework._

_Honestly, this week has been pretty boring! I've been working and nothing really special has happened so I don't really know what else to add to this. I really hope your date went well and you're doing well in school. _

_Hope to hear from you soon._

_Until next time,_

_Okumura Yukio_

* * *

_September 22, 2006__  
_

_Dear Yuki-chan,_

_Heh, I knew it had to be somethin' like that. You're such a bookworm, man. Rather than feelin' bad for makin' me wait, how about ya take it easy and quit makin' me worry? Would it kill ya to try and relax every once in a while? I hope you're really toning it down on that job you've got at least. Can't be at the top of the class if you're distracted from your schoolwork at the same time, right?_

_As for my date, man, where do I even start? Well, first thing's first—it was awesome! Even though we skipped past the formalities, it wasn't as awkward as you'd expect. Guess it helped that we've kind of known each other for a while. Not personally, but she was in my class last year too, I just never had the change to interact with her until lately. Didn't notice much of her before this year, know what I mean? _

_Anyway, so like I told ya we would, we went to the mall and walked around for a while, passed by some shops since she wanted to buy some things. We got ice cream later and sat down to talk and it was real nice. Since she used to be in class with me before, we ended up talkin' about those times. Nothin' much happened aside from that, but it was great anyway. See? Goin' on dates isn't hard at all. I bet if ya were to go on one, you'd get the hang of it after a while. Anyway, regarding me and Suzu-chan, we've been hangin' out after school this week a lot, and it looks like she's up to goin' out with me again this weekend. I'm pretty damn excited! If things go well, I might even get a kiss out of this after all. Suzu-chan is seriously the cutest. And she's an amazin' cook too! We walked past her during lunch the other day and I overheard her tellin' her friends she'd made the bento herself. It looked so good…! There's nothing like a girl's homemade food~ Hope I get to try it out myself sometime soon! _

_But seriously, I just don't get ya, man. Why would ya go out of your way to avoid your classmates? If it was just the guys you were avoidin', I'd understand, but what's so bad about girls?! You've gotta be the luckiest guy in the world right now. I'm so jealous~ I wish I was as popular as you, Yuki-chan. If we were in the same class, I'd gladly eat up the attention for ya. Can't believe you're hiding out in the infirmary too… Well, I guess that wouldn't be too bad if the nurse was cute… _

_Wait…! Could it be that Yuki-chan is actually into older girls?! Or maybe it's just the nurse-type… So the reason behind ya wantin' to be a doctor is that kind of thing after all, isn't it?! I'm right, aren't I? Aren't I~?_

_Heheh, I'm kiddin', I'm kiddin'. Don't get so flustered. I know it ain't like that. It's fun to be able to make fun of ya every once in a while though. In any case, I still think you're crazy for it and totally missing out, but I guess it's fine if you're not up to datin'. Still, gotta get ya to pick up a hobby or somethin' this year. If it's not datin', at least try and take a break from schoolwork by doin' something else. Quit worryin' about your brother too, will ya? He can take care of himself without ya, you know. Think a little more about yourself for once. _

_In your next reply, I better hear somethin' other than school talk, okay? Do something fun this weekend! Don't have your nose stuck in a book all the time and live a little more, okay?_

_Hope to hear from ya soon! _

_Until next time,_

_Shima Renzou_


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